Explosive-engine.



N0. 64l,659. Pate'nted Ian; I6, I900. G. A. TUERK.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

(Application filed Mar. 25, 1899.)

2 SheeisSheet I.

(No Model.)

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Patented Ian. I6, [900.

G. A. TUERK.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

(Application filed Mar. 25, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

.GUSTAVUS A. TUERK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

EXPLOSlVE-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,659, dated January 16, 1900.

'Application filed March 25, 1899. $erial No. 710,481. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, GUSTAVUS A. TUERK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive-Engines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to that type of reciprocatingengines in which the motive force is afforded by successive explosions of mixed volumes of gas or combustible vapor and air.

Various objects of the present improvements are as follows: To provide a simple and efiective valve-gear for the exhaust of such engines and with which the action of the valve controlling the exhaust from the lower or back end of the engine-cylinder is automatically controlled in a very sensitive manner, so as to maintain a uniform speed of the engine under varying loads, all as will hereinafter more fully appear and be more particu larly pointed out in the claims; also, to provide means whereby the electric current for the igniting mechanism is cut off when the engine is running under momentum alone, so that during such time there will be no sparking at the contacts or any electrical current used or wasted. I attain such objects by the construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a gas-engine embodying the present invention; Fig. 2, a transverse section of the sameat line 0c 00, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail transverse section at line 0c 00, Fig. 4, illustrating the inlet and outlet valves of the engine; Fig. 4:, a detail horizontal section at line 00 :0 Fig. 3; Fig. 5, an enlarged detail longitudinal section of the engine-governor and the gear connection between the main shaft and the counter-shaft of the outlet-valve mechanism; Fig. 6, an enlarged detail transverse section at line 00 :0 Fig. 5, illustrating the gearing connection of the outlet-valve mechanism; Fig. 7, an enlarged detail longitudinal section, illustrating the igniting mechan ismof the present invention; Fig. 8, an enlarged detail plan view of the same; Fig. 9, an enlarged detail transverse section of the same; Fig. 10, an enlarged sectional view of the gas-inlet check-valve of the present invention.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the supporting-base, upon which are carried the single-acting vertical water-jacketed enginecylinder 2 and the standard for the horizontal crank-shaft 3, having the usual pitman connection 4 with the piston 5 and provided with usual fiy-wheel and driving-pulley, such parts being usual in the vertical type of gas-engines shown in the drawings as illustrative of the present invention.

6 is the main inlet-valve for the lower ends of the piston-chamber of the usual mushroom type and adapted to open inward against the closing tendency of a coiled spring surrounding the stem of the valve, as usual in the present type of engines and as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.

7is a supply-pipe connecting with the chamber of the inlet-valve 6, as shown, and having two branches 8 and 9, the one provided with a valve 10, capable of regulation by hand to admit of a controllable inlet of air to the main supply-pipe 7, the other branch being provided with a check-valve ll, capable of regulation by hand, as hereinafter set forth, to admit of a controllable inlet of gas or combustible vapor from any suitable source and to which source such branch pipe 9 extends. (See Fig. 3 of thedrawings.) The regulable checkvalve 11 in the gas-supply branch 9, above referred to, is illustrated in Fig. 10, and comprises an ordinary check-valve 12, the stem of which is formed with a reduced upper end 13 for engagement with the lower end of a coiled spring 14, by which the valve is forced to its seat.

15 is a screw-threaded stem, the lower end of which has a corresponding formation to that of the reduced upper end of the valvestem, so as to engage the upper end of the coiled spring 14.

16 is a hand-wheel by which the stem 15 is adjusted, and such hand-wheel is formed with a notched periphery, as shown in Figs. 3 and 10, for the engagement of a spring-detent 17 to lock it at its required adjustment.

With the above-described arrangement the tension of the coiled spring 14 can be regulated to permit of the drawing through the valve of any predetermined volume of gas at any one stroke of the engine, and by fully screwing down the stem 15 the valve can be positively secured in its closed position to prevent in a positive manner the passage through the valve of any gas.

The igniting device of the present improvement comprises a head 18, secured to the lower portion of the main cylinder 2 in an insulated manner, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. This head carries a spring-finger 19, that projects horizontally into the lower pistoirchamber of the cylinder 2, as shown, and carries a looselyjournaled horizontal disk 20, that is so arranged in the path of the contact-pin 5, carried by the main piston, that such pin will strike the surface of such disk near the margin of the same and laterally to a line drawn longitudinal with the pivot-axis of such disk and as illustrated in Figs. 1, 4, 7, S, and 9, the arrangement being such that with each engagement of the contact-pin 5 with such disk and with the consequent depression of such disk a partial rotation of the same will be effected to present a fresh surface for 0011- tact on the next impact of the pin 5, such action continuing during the operation of the engine, so that an intermittent or step-hystep rotation of such disk will take place during the running of the engine. Theinsnlated head 18 will be in circuit with one pole of the battery or other source of electrical energy and the piston 5 with the other pole of such battery, preferably through the mechanical connections hereinafter described.

21 is a bearing-roller on the outer end of the spring or arm 19 and adapted to support the projecting edge of the horizontal contactdisk 20 at a point beneath and immediately adjacent to where the pin 5 impacts against such disk. The disk will be preferably of. a perforate nature, as shown in Fig. 8, so as to afford but a minimum obstruction to the upward passage of the gases, the.

The governor of the engine may be of any usual type and will be arranged upon the main shaft. In the construction shown in the drawings, 22 are the governor balls, guided in their movement by suit-able guidestuds upon a bracket-sleev 23 on the main shaft, which bracketsleeve affords pivotal attachment for the governor-arms 24, that are adapted to impart longitudinal movement to the governor-sleeve 25 innnison with the movement of the governor-balls due to varying speeds of rotation.

In the present improvement 26 is a coned extension of the sleeve 25, that engages one end of the laterally-extending lever 27, the opposite end of which constitutes a lockingdetent for the outlet-valve mechanism to hold the same in a dormant position, as hereinafter set forth.

28 is a spring tending to hold the detentlever 27 in engagement with the operatingcone of the governor-sleeve and the detent end of such lever out of the path of the valve operating mechanism.

The outlet-valve-operating mechanism of the present construction comprises a main lever 29, pivoted at 30 to the main frame of the engine, its upper arm being provided with a bearing-roller 31, that has engagement with the operating cam 32 on the supporting counter-shaft 33, (see Fig. 2,) and said upper arm of the lever is extended up past said bearing-roller to a plane adjacent to the locking-detent lever 27, so as to be capable of engagement therewith when the engaging end of said detent-lever is depressed by the operation of the governor in use. The lower end of said lever has operating engagement with the stem of the outlet check-valve 34 of the lower piston-chamber by link connection 35 with the arm 36 of the rock-shaft 37, another arm 38 on said rock-shaft having operative engagement with the outer end of the valve-stem of the valve 34, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The outlet-valve 34 will be of the usual spring-impelled mushroom type shown in the drawings and is adapted to control communication between the lower end of the main piston-chamber and the lateral passage 39, that communicates with the main exhaust-passage 40 of the engine.

The usual compression-spring 41 by which the outlet-valve 34 is forced to its seat will be left free to fully efiect such purpose by the employment of an auxiliary coiled spring 41, connected to the lower end of the operating-lever 29 and to the arm 36, as shown in Fig. 2, the tendency of such spring being to operate the rock-shaft 37 and the valve-actuating arm 38 thereof in a direction away from the valve-stem, so that the outlet-valve will be free to close under the stress of its spring 41 at all times other than when it is positively forced into an open condition by the valve mechanism above described.

42 is a passage that extends from the main exhaust'passage 40 to a point in the main cylinder immediately beneath the piston when the same is at the end of its upward stroke, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The purpose of such passage is to actin conjunction with the lower passage 30 and the valve 34 in relieving the piston-chamber of the gaseous products of an explosion in a very rapid and effective manner.

In the present invention the operating-cam has imparted to it during its active engagement with valve-operating lever 29 a movementin a circulardirection much more rapid than that of the main shaft, with a view to obtain a very rapid and sensitive action of the outlct-va1vc 34 at the proper time. To

this end the said cam will move in unison with a pinion 43 of an intermittent pair of gear-wheels, the other gear-wheel 44 of which is secured to the main shaft 3 of the engine, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6. intermittent gear-wheels may be of any usual and well known construction, preferably, however, of the special construction shown in the drawings, and in which the pinion 43 is formed with alternate radial recesses 45 and marginal convex depressions 46, usually four in number of each, as shown. Such pinion has operative connection with the gear-wheel 44 by means of the pair of studs 47, arranged diametrically opposite each other .on said wheel and adapted to engage in turn in the radial recesses 45 of the pinion 43 and impart one-quarter revolution to the same and to the operating eccentric or cam 32. interval between such intermittent actuation of the pinion the same is positively held in a stationary condition by the engagement of one of the concentrically-arranged rim-sections 48 of the gear-wheel 44 in the adjacent convex marginal recess or depression 46 of the pinion. Such rimsections 48 will have a symmetrical arrangement between the studs 47 on the gear-wheel 44, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 6 of the drawings.

In the present improvement 49 is a spring contact-finger secured to the pivot-hub of the valve-operating lever 29 in an insulated manner, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and having connection to the pole of the battery or other source of electrical energy opposite to the one to which the spring-contact 19, heretofore described, is connected. This contact-finger in its normal position is adapted to contact with a pin 50, eccentrically attached to the operating-cam 32 to make electrical connection with the metallic portions of the engine and with the contact-pin 5 of the engine-piston 5, so that with a breaking of the contact between the said pin 5 and the contact-disk 20 an electric spark will be produced to ignite the charge of gas within the piston-chamber.

With the valve-operating lever 29 in its outward and dormant position the spring con tact-finger 49 will be removed from the path of the contact-pin 50 and no electrical connection will be made through the parts until the valve-operatin g lever returns to its active position.

The type of engine shown in the drawings to illustrate the present improvement is the two-cycle type, in which the crank-shaft makes two revolutions for each explosion of the gas.

The operation of the engine is as follows: Assuming an explosion to have just taken place, the piston under the impetus given makes an upward stroke, and as it reaches the end of the same uncovers the relief-passage 42 to permit the escape of the greater portion of the exploded gas, at the same time the outlet-Valve 34 is opened through the instrumentality of the operating rock-shaft 37 Such pair of In the lever 29, and cam 32 to admit of the escape of the remainder of the gas on the return or down stroke of the piston. As the piston nears the end of its downstroke the outletvalve 34 closes to shut off communication between the exhaust-port of the engine and the lower end of the piston-chamber. With a succeeding upward stroke due to the momentum of the engine a charge of explosive gas and air is drawn into the piston chamber through the inlet-valves 6, 10, and 11,which charge is compressed upon the succeeding downstroke of the piston. As the piston is at the end of its downstroke the contact-pin 5O strikes the spring contact-finger 49 to complete the electric circuit, so that as the contact-pin 5 of the piston 5 leaves the contactdisk 20 in the initial upward movement of such piston an electric spark will be produced to ignite the charge of gas in the piston chamber to begin a fresh cycle of operations such as heretofore described.

With too great a speed of the engine the governor mechanism operates to engage the detent-lever 27 with the upper end of the valve-lever 29 to hold the same in a dormant position, in which position the main outletvalve is held open, so that the piston-chamber will receive and exhaust through said valve and no explosion takes place until a sufficient diminution of the speed of the engine takes place to release the valve-operating lever 29 from its engagement with the locking-detent lever 27.

Having thus fullydescribed my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with the outlet-valve of an explosive-engine, and the lever for operating said valve, of a governor provided with a coned extension on its movable sleeve, and a detent-lever on the engine-frame, one end of which engages such coned extension and the other end of which is adapted to engage the upper end of the valve-operating lever to hold the same in a dormant position, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the cylinder and piston of an explosive-engine, of an outletvalve mechanism, a rotary cam receiving motion from the engine-shaft, alever pivoted to the main frame with one arm engaging said cam, a rock-shaft having arm-and-link connection with the lower end of said lever, an inwardly-opening outlet-valve the stem of which projects outwardly and is provided with a closing-spring, and an arm on the rock-shaft adapted to engage said valve-stem to impart an opening movement to the valve, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the cylinder and piston of an explosive-engine, of an outletvalve mechanism comprising a rotary cam receiving motion from the engine-shaft, alever pivoted to the main frame with one arm ongaging said cam, a rock-shaft having arm-andlink connection with the lower end of said lever, a coiled spring extending from said rock-shaft arm to the lower end of the lever, an inwardly-opening outletwah'e the stem of which projects outwardly, and an arm on the rock-shaft adapted to engage said valvestem to impart an opening movement to the valve, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the cylinder and piston of an explosive-engine, of an outletvalve mechanism comprising, a rotary cam receiving motion from the engine-shaft, a lever pivoted to the main frame with one arm engaging said cam, a rock-shaft having armand-link connection with the lower end of said lever, an inwardly-opening outlet-valve the stem of which projects outwardly and is provided with a closin g-sprin g, an arm on the rock-shaft adapted to engage said valve-stem to impart an opening movement to the valve, a governor provided with a coned extension on its movable sleeve, and a detent-lever on the engine-frame, one end of which engages such coned extension and the other end of which is adapted to engage the upper end of the valve-lever to hold the same in a dormant position, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the cylinder and piston of an explosive-engine, of an outletvalve mechanism comprising a rotary cam receiving motion from the engine-shaft, a lever pivoted to the main frame with one arm engaging said cam, a rock-shaft having armand-link connection with the lower end of said lever, a coiled spring extending from said rock-shaft arm to the lower end of the lever, an inwardly-opening outlet-valve the stem of which projects outwardly, an arm 011 the rockshaft adapted to engage said valve-stem to impart an opening movement to the valve, a governor provided with a coned extension on its movable sleeve, and a detent-lever on the engine-frame, one end of which engages such coned extension and the other end of which is adapted to engage the upper end of the valve-lever to hold the same in a dormant. position, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the outlet-valve of an explosive-engine and the lever for operating said valve, of an intermittent gear or driver on the main shaft, a pinion on a counter-shaft and an operating-cam moving with said pinion, said intermittent gears being so formed that the driver on the main shaft will make two or more revolutions to one of the pinion, and said pinion will travel faster than the driver during the active movements of said pinion, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the outlet-valve of an explosive-engine and the lever for operating said valve, of an intermittent gear or driver on the main shaft, a pinion on a counter-shaft, and an operating-cam moving with said pinion, the said intermittent gear comprising a driver carrying diametrically opposite pins or studs and intermediate concentric rim-sections, and a pinion formed with a series of radial recesses and marginal concaved depressions, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with the outlet-valve of an explosive-engine and the lever for operating said valve, of a spring contact-finger secured to said lever in an insulated manner, and the rotary operating-cam for said valvelever provided with a contact-pin adapted to contact with said spring-finger, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination with the outlet-valve of an explosive-engine and the lever for operating said valve, of a spring contact-finger secured to said lever in an insulated manner, the rotary operating-cam for said valve-lever provided with a contact-pin adapted to contact with said spr-ingfinger, a governor provided with a coned extension on its movable sleeve, and a detentlever on the engineframe, one end of which engages said coned extension and the other end of which is adapted to engage the upper end of the valve-operating lever to hold the same in a dormant position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof Witness my hand this 23d day of March, 1890.

GUSTAVUS A. TUERK.

In presence of- ROBERT BURNS, HENRY A. N o'r'r. 

